Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Veria

For one person, living is cheaper in Veria: $1,257 a month against $1,759 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Veria
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Veria Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,759

/mo nomad

Veria

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,257

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Veria

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Athens and in Veria actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,759 in Athens versus $1,257 in Veria.

Athens $1,759
Veria $1,257

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,696 in Athens versus $1,979 in Veria.

Athens $2,696
Veria $1,979

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,632 in Athens versus $2,701 in Veria.

Athens $3,632
Veria $2,701

Living in Athens is roughly 40% more expensive than in Veria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 29% above, Veria is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.05 €15.31

$16.88 €15.16

1.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 €59.1

$33.64 €30.22

95.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.96 €9.84

$11.34 €10.18

-3.35%

Cappuccino

$4.10 €3.69

$4.11 €3.69

-0.24%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 €2.54

$2.73 €2.45

3.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 €0.53

$0.54 €0.48

9.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 €5.05

$4.53 €4.07

24.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 €5.09

$5.46 €4.91

3.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.70

$1.47 €1.32

29.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 €1.31

$1.26 €1.13

15.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 €2.43

$1.73 €1.55

56.65%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.53

$3.87 €3.47

30.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 €13.54

$11.00 €9.88

37.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.28 €9.23

$10.90 €9.79

-5.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.40 €17.42

$12.48 €11.21

55.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 €1.91

$2.30 €2.07

-7.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 €1.71

$2.03 €1.82

-5.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.17 €1.05

20.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.91

$2.64 €2.37

-19.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 €0.94

$1.12 €1.00

-7.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €1.02

$0.86 €0.77

31.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 €1.01

$1.02 €0.92

10.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.73

$0.85 €0.76

-4.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.52 €4.96

$4.43 €3.98

24.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.99 €8.97

$7.37 €6.62

35.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.83

$1.95 €1.75

4.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €2.05

$3.22 €2.89

-29.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 €1.18

$1.35 €1.21

-2.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.67 €27.55

$45.20 €40.60

-32.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.93

$4.52 €4.06

-3.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.92

$1.63 €1.46

-36.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.05 €15.32

$6.90 €6.19

147.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 €2.10

$2.20 €1.97

6.36%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.3K €25.4K

$27.5K €24.7K

2.90%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.8K €24.0K

$26.4K €23.7K

1.36%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$200 €180

$122 €109

64.11%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$25.17 €22.61

$22.71 €20.40

10.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 €26.64

$30.36 €27.27

-2.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.4 €45.31

$33.45 €30.05

50.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.94 €23.30

$24.70 €22.19

5.02%

Cinema Ticket

$10.52 €9.45

$9.19 €8.26

14.47%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$576 €518

$337 €303

70.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K €11.6K

$8,865 €7,964

45.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 €80.6

$66.7 €59.9

34.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.57 €35.55

$40.69 €36.55

-2.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €94.7

$76.9 €69.1

37.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$166 €150

-25.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$740 €665

$333 €299

122.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 €577

$278 €249

131.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 €1,172

$618 €555

111.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,121 €1,007

$568 €510

97.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,011 €3,603

$1,022 €918

292.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,284 €2,950

$1,999 €1,795

64.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,224 €1,099

$1,015 €912

20.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.73

-5.29%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Athens: October 25, 2026

Last update for Veria: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$643 36.5%

Veria

$278 22.1% 56.8% $365

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$312 17.7%

Veria

$266 21.2% 14.6% $46

Eating Out

Athens

$272 15.4%

Veria

$265 21.1% 2.4% $6.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$255 14.5%

Veria

$175 13.9% 31.3% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$161 9.2%

Veria

$158 12.6% 2.2% $3.5

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$71 4.1%

Veria

$52 4.1% 27.5% $20

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.6%

Veria

$63 5% 39.2% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $740 in Athens and $333 in Veria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 21% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $66 in Athens vs $34 in Veria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $266 per month, with Veria cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇬🇷 Veria

🕒 Local time

01:45 1:45 AM

Same time as Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

42,794

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Athens vs Veria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Veria wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Veria the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 21% higher in Athens, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $740 in Athens versus $333 in Veria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Veria – a meal for two runs $34 versus $66 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,759 per month in Athens versus $1,257 in Veria – Veria is about 29% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,257 in Veria versus $1,759 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Veria but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Veria the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Athens and Veria are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Veria wins on affordability, Athens on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.